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DRESSING AND TANNING 
OF FUR SKINS AND HIDES 



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GOTTFRIED F. OTT. 

At His Glorious Time in Business 

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SKINNING AN ANIMAL 

All small animals open across the hind legs; open the 
tail, loosen the skin from the legs, cut the paws of the 
bone but leave it on the skin. Take out the bone of the 
tail by catching hold of the point of the bone and pulling 
it out, not the other way, it might tear. Then pull the 
skin over the body and head leaving the front paws on 
also ears, eyes and lips and nose. Do not damage any 
of them; they may be needed. Then pull it over a board 
according to the shape of the animal. 

With skins with broad legs such as Foxes just stick 
some newspaper over the flesh al?o tail to dry quicker. 
To prevent the loosening of the hair, turn ears outside 
the board. Large skins are best open..d on the Belly 
also on front legs; dry in a shed but hang high out of 
reach of mice, rats and other thieves. Dry skins can be 
protected against moth or worms, by putting them into 
a tight box with Napthalene. 

Hides can either be dried or covered on the flesh side 
with salt. Put sides, legs and head inside and role up. 

TANNING HIDES 

Preparatory to tanning the hides are to be soaked in 
clean, cold water. When they are green only a few 
hours to get the dirt and salt cut. When dry for 2 or 3 
days until thoroughly soaked but water must be changed 
every day principally in summer. After 12 hours soak 
flesh all can be go 'ten off and soak again. When 
well soaked flesh clean, then prepare: In 9 gallons of 
water boil for each gallon to be used, for one hide, 5 to 
6 gallons of water, according to si: e of hide, 

20 ounces of salt 5 ounces of alum. 

When dissolved add the rest of the water, then there 
will be about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, if not, warm up 
to this, not hotter. Put the hide in and work about for 
one-quarter hour, let stand till next morning, take out 
and drain, save the liquor. When drained shave as thin 
as possible The easiest way to do this is: Make a 
frame of 2x3 8 feet long, 5 feet v/ide, put screw-rings 
inside of frame 1 foot apart. Then cut small holes 
close to the edge of hide at rump part and lace it on. 
Then with a short piece of rope lac 3 the head then the 
sides. Use Window Cord. Put frame against the waU 
and drav/ the shaving knife down on the skin. This 
knife is made cf a blade 4 ^/^ to 5 inches long, 2^^ to 3 

1 



inches wide. One end is ground round flat and sharp 
then an edge laid on it. Then put in a piece of hard 
wood and fasten with a thumb-screw. Take the handle 
in the left hand and lay your right hand on the knife 
end; shave as close as possible to the edge. When 
through lace out and shave the sides on the beam. All 
the tools can be bought in a Curriers Supply house or 
in a big hardware store. When finished shaving, hide 
should be put back in the pickle for another 24 hours 
then draing and lace again. 

Then give with a brush the leather side a solution of 
V2 lb. Gambler in 1 quart of water. When this is dried 
in somewhat give a slight greasing with cottonseed oil 
dry, lace out of frame and put in drum with sawdust 
and sand. When there is no drum, put skin in a bag, 
tie it up and jump on it, turning it all the while until 
it is soft. Then clean fur with sawdust if needed 

The following formulas were given to me by a tanner 
and coat and robe maker. Anybody intresting himself I 
recommend the book Practical Tanning by Louis F.em- 
ming, for sale at Henry Carrey Baird & Co , formerly 
810 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa., booksellers. Now 
710 Nassau Street, New York City, N. Y. 

TANNING PROCESS NO. (1) 

To five gallons of soft water add V2 ounce of sal soda, 
1/2 ounce ammonia, tvo lb? Gum Gambler. Boil to- 
gether until will dissolved, when cool place in your hides. 
If for several hides, you must have more water, Gum 
Gamb"er, e'c Let the hides remain from 5 to 20 hours 
according to thickness or skin, then take out the hides 
aid f eih we'] again The Gum Gambler carries a great 
portion of acid, and be sure the bath is cool before plac- 
ing the hide in Af;er well fleshed the second t"me, 
p'ace in the ba h again and leave until tanned wh^ch will 
be from 4 to 20 days accordi:ig to thickness of skin, this 
will tan anyth'n;^- from an Oppo um to a cow hide. 

PROCESS NO. (2) 

After your skins have been v/eU soaked and fleshed, 
wash them in six gallons of water, V2 pound baking soda, 
three ounces ammonia and a cake of Laundry soap, at cer 
washed well, rin^e in clear water, and place them in the 
foUovving liquor: to 10 gallons of water stir V2 bushel 
of wheat bran; 7 pounds of saH: set away in a warm 
place until it ferments which v/ill be four or five days,' 

•> 



then take the hides out, strain the bran through an old 
Burlap or screen, then stir in the liquor 2^2 pounds of 
sulphuric acid, stir all the time while adding the acid. 
Now place in your skins again and leave from four to 
ten days according to the thickness of the skins, for 
heavy hides twice the amount oi acid should be used, 
when tanned hang them in the shade to dry. It is best 
to wash the furs m several waters when you take them 
out the last time. When the skins are partly dry work 
them with your hands, stretching them every way, and 
work them over a beam until dry. Now lay on your 
working bench and wet down again with soap and wa.er, 
stretch well in all directions and tack on the table, let it 
dry, when dry take sandpaper and work off all surplus 
flesh; the Ind'ans use stone for this work. If the hide 
is not soft and pliable enough rub in some butter or 
Neat's-foot oil. This is a good tan for anything from 
a mink to a cougar. 

PROCESS NO. (3) 

To ten gallons of soft water, stir one bu-hel of wheat 
bran, one cake of laundry soap melted, 2 ounces pul- 
verized borax, 4 ounces sulphuric acid, one pound salt, 
soak hides in this until soft, take out and piace in the 
tanning liquor as follows: ten gallons water, V2 bushel 
of wheat bran, : et m a warm p'ace to fermjnt. Add 
2^/^ pounds of su'phuric acid, stir all the t'me while 
addim,' the acid. Mukrats and similar small skins should 
be left in this tan five hours, heavy ?kins several days, 
take out, rinse in several waters, rub while drying. 

PROCESS NO. (4) 

This is the lightning hand tan. Always u e the same 
proportion whether making more or le.Ls 01 this liquor 
6 pounds salt, 6 pounds alum, 13 ounces saltpeter, 8 
ounces borax. Pulverize well and place in good strong 
vinegar, stir and it will soon dissolve, place in the skins 
and let them soak 1 V2 hours. Then hang up and let 
drain, repeat this operation until skins are tanned. A 
coit hide will tan in two days. When skins are tanned 
wash in tepid soft water and a few drops of ammonia, 
stretch out well after partly dry, and tack to the floor 
or on the bench. The stretching helps opsn the pores 
and does not give the glue a chance to set. When dry 
sandpaper it and use butter or oil if necessary. 

3 



PROCESS NO. (5) 

A good hand tan: To 1 gallon of soft water take 1 
pound salt, 1 pound alum, i/4 pound borax and a f ew | 
drops of sulphuric acid, stir this all together in luke-| 
warm water.'* After your skins have been soaked and 
fleshed well, tack them to the floor and with a cloth 
spread the liquor over the skins once, every day or every 
time the skins dry- and it will tan in about three or five 
days. Take the tacks out and sand-paper the skin well. 

PROCESS NO. (6) 

Wash the skin thoroughly in rain water and good soap, 
rinse well in several waters, wring all the water you can 
get out and make a paste ^s follows: One pound salt, 
V2 pound alum, 1 V2 ounce borax, dissolve in hot water 
and right then mix with rye meal, make a thick paste, 
wipe the skin dry with a cloth, lay on the floor and apply 
a coat of paste on the flesh side with a brush or cloth, 
roll the skin up so the paste will not get on the fur and 
law away ten days, then unroll the skin and scrape the 
paste away. Wash in soft water and hang in the shade 
to dry. Watch and when dry spots come rub them and 
stretch them in every way and when nearly dry work 
them over a beam, heavy skins must be fleshed well and 
another application of the paste used and laid away 
for several days longer. For making cow and horse 
hides pliable and soft, I have worked bull hides for two 
days on my fleshing beam with a draw knife, and thinned 
it down so well it was as soft as a glove, it is also well 
to plan a way to stretch your heavy hides, for instance 
like an old fashion rope bed. This can be made out of a 
2x4 eight feet long, nail together and make a square 
frame, with a ^-iiich bit bore holes every foot around 
the frame, place your hide in the frame, cut holes in the 
cide and string it up to the frame v/ith i/4-inch rope, 
first in the hide then to the frame, so on all around the 
hide. You can then string it up as tight as a drum head ■ 
and with your good sharp sleek you can thin the skin | 
so it will be evenly in thickness. An iron sleek is made 1 
with a piece of saw blade 5 by 3 inches, one edge ground j 
square and set in a piece of pine board 8 by 4 inches :| 
smoothly worked off. One large horse or sow hide will ; 
make a coat, and you can get several pair of gloves and s 
mittens off from the edges of the hide after the coat j 
has been cut out. 1 



PROCESS NO. (7) 

Soak hides in cold water for one night, heavy hides 
two or three days, but change water every 12 ,or 24 
hours until perfectly soft, then remove all flesh and 
pickle in the following: 1 gallon soft water to 20 ounces 
salt and five ounces alum; heat this up to 100 or 110 
degrees F. not more. Nov/ work into this pickle the 
skins for several minutes, then let it stand over night, 
next day hang the hides over a beam and let them drain; 
then shave them very thin (but heavy hides such as cow 
hides, put them in the same pickle for another night, 
drain again, then nail the hide to a board or on the 
floor). Oil over the pelt all it will take in of good 
Neats-foot oil. Now give a strong solution of Gum 
Gambler, 80 per cent, is a strong solution, take the Gum 
Gambler, say Vz lb. to 1 quart of water and boil until 
dissolved. Then dry, place in a drum v/ith a little 
moist sand to soften the pelt, then add fine sifted saw- 
dust to the drum and tumble. This will clean the hide. 
The main thing is to soak thoroughly to prevent any 
stiff places in the hide. If Gambler is not obtainable, 
leave it out. 

This is the best formula for a new beginner, and it is 
an absolute sure tan for all hides, and is given before 
detailed, is also very useful for small skins, to pickle. 

PROCESS NO. 8 
Chrom Tanned Hides and Skins 

Skins worked out in this way will always keep soft no 
matter how often they get wet. The skins, when 
thoroughly soaked, fleshed and washed, are put in a 
strong solution of Alum and Salt; 2^2 pounds of Alum 
dissolved in 5 gallons of boiling water and then add 1 
pound of salt. When the solution is cooled down to 100 
degrees F., the skins are put in and stirred for about 
half hour and then let remain in it from 12 to 24 hours. 
Lift out, drain out, everything saved. Then add three 
pounds of saft and one quart of concentrated Chrom 
liquor. In the meantime shave the skins and put back in 
the alum liquor and work again. When the green color 
has gone through the thickest part of the skins they are 
tanned, but if not some more Chrom liquor should be 
added. When tanned a couple of ounces of bicar bonate 
of soda should be added to the liquor. Work again and 
let them remain in it for another day. Then wash in 

5 



Borax water, afterwards in clear water, drain and put in 
frame. When the excess of water is out, grease with 
grease paste. Dry and finish. (This grease paste is 
given later on.)"* Cotton seed oil may be used. Concen- 
trated Chrom liquor is made: Dissolve so much of 
Bichromate of Potash as boiling water will dissolve. 

PROCESS NO. 9 
Tanning With Gambier, Alum, and Salt 

After the hides are pickled with process No. 7 and 
shaved, they are put in a Gambier solution of three de- 
grees by Baume for heavy fluid. Handle this until the 
strength is down to one degree, then strengthen up to 
six and handle every few hours until the hides are tanned 
through. After 24 hours wash a little, drain, frame and 
paste grease, or oiled. 

Making Skins Mothproof 

Add t othe tanning liquor per 600 grams of water: 

10 grams Corrosive sublimate. 

80 grams Carbolic acid. 

10 grams Salicilic acid. 

Skins handled in Process 7 are moth proof. 

Sheep and Goat Skins 

When dry they should be soaked one night in cold 
water, beamed in length and width. Then wash like 
Polar bears, but soda may be used in the soap suds. 
Rinse in warm water and pickle as in No. 7, and when 
it is to be dyed, black, can be taken in the Chrom bath 
and dyed as given later. But if it is to be kept white 
when dried, dampen lightly with clear water. Next 
morning beam and clean in Drum with white sand and 
whiting or talcum. 

Goat skins need no washing otherwise than in the same 
treatment, but if they are to be natural clean them in 
hardwood sifted sawdust. The wet beaming and the 
after beaming has to be well done to make the skins soft 
and pliable. The pelt can be cleaned by an emery wheel, 
sand or pumis stone. The process to clean and bleach 
bear skins is given later. 

Tanning Snakes, Eel and Alligator Skins 

The skins like others have to be soaked in water until 
soft, then fleshed and put back in the water for a few 
hours. Then put in a solution of 1 gallon of water, 13 
ounces salt and 1 ounce sulphuric acid for 6 or 8 hours. 

6 



Then put in alum and salt solution of equal parts about 
12 to 15 degrees Baume and left there for 24 hours or 
longer, according to the size. They are then dried 
slowly and run m the turning tub with moist sawdust 
until all the scales come off; then stretch out dried and 
finished. If the scales have to remain on tti.m handle 
with care; when dry just moisten with soap wa^er; let 
lie for a while and stretch, if you want a bright shiny 
finish use casein or shellac; for dull finish flaxseed gum 
or gum tragacanth. Ciean the pelt with sandpaper or 
pumice stone. 

Tanning With Salt, Alum and Gambier 

Skins are soaked until soft; stretching by hand quick- 
ens this process. Flesh, wash and put in the lime vat 
for 4 or 5 days until the outer scales can be easily re- 
moved. Wa^h in bran-water until clean; wash again and 
pickle in alum and salt as above for 3 days, 1 part alum 
and 2 parts salt, sufficient water to co-zer. After this 
start to pickle with gambier of 3 degrees Baume and 
strengthen every day 1 degree until 6 degrees are 
reached. Skins have to be taken out every morning, 
th 1 degree added and put back again. When tanned 
wash and grease paste and dry. When nearly dry 
stretch. Clean the pelt and finish as above given, bright 
or dull. 

Dressing Fur Skins 

Furs are not tanned but dressed or prepared for the 
manufacture. Fur skins are mostly dry, and if green 
dry first. This is done by stretching them on a board 
and putting strips of newspaper in tiie legs. Then put 
skins on the beam and with beaming knife push off the 
greasy skin, starting at the head. This is called scrap- 
ing and recommended to trappers. A nicely scraped 
skin brings more money. Skins for dressing have to be 
brushed with salt water, a full handfuU in about 10 
quarts of water Use cold in summer and warm in win- 
ter. Then thoroughly wet soft wood sawdust with some 
water. Squeeze a handful and v/hen a few drops come 
out it is right. Save this sawdust for next use. Then 
when the skins are open, put them on the ground with 
the fur down, throw the west sav/dust on it. If the 
pelt skins are cased up sawdust first on the ground and 
then cover the skin with it all over well. So continue if 
you have more furs to soak. Open skins, first skin then 
sawdust, then skin again. See that heads and sides are 



well covered as bare places will not soak. Let skins lay 
until next morning, then take out of the soak. Take 
small hides on the blunt knife on the bench and push all f 
the flesh off, starting at the rump or tail. If there is ' 
thick skin on-M^he head shave it off and wet again if it 
has not the needed stretch. Larger skins take on the 
beam and work with the beaming knife in lenghth and 
width. Then shave all hard spots and wet again or put 
in the sawdust if needed. Pull also the skin on the bench 
in length and width. This is very necessary and to be 
observed as will be explained in cutting furs. If the 
stretch is not given when wet it will not stretch when 
nailed out and you never get out of them what you 
otherwise could. When this is done make a pickle: 1 
quart water, 5 ounces of salt and one ounce of sul- 
phuric acid, stir up and brush the fleshed skins with it 
all over and as much as it will absorb. Let them lay 
over night. Leathery furs have to be brushed again and 
very heavy ones 3 times and over night or at least eight 
hours if done in the morning. When pickled, dry. 

Observe that furs must be thoroughly soaked and 
worked before pickling. Pickle must only be put in 
stone or glass vessels. After furs are dry smear all 
over with a brush or rag the grease paste mentioned 
later on. Double furs up and let lay till next morning. 
Then observe them closely and if you find dry spots 
smear a little more one and let lay a few hours longer, 
then put them in the drum with sawdust which must be 
only of hardwood and sifted fine, for about one hour. 
Then put small skins on the blunt knife in the bench and 
pull it length and width again and shave what is heavy. 
Larger furs put on the beam again and shave, then put in 
drum again with clean sawdust and work for 3 or 4 i 
hours To hasten this work put a charcoal can under the 
drum, or a gas arrangement. But both must be nearly ! 
the whole width of drum. But while you have get heat 
under it, see that it does not get too hot. As long as 
you can bear your hand on it, its all right, but if it gets 
hotter remove the fire. One-half hour with fire and ^ 
one-half without will be sufficient. If you have power, ' 
fire is not needed, but 3 or 4 hours run. When they ' 
come out of the drum beat the dust out and emery out ' 
or take all the fleshy parts off by rubbing with pumice "' 
stone or coarse sandpaper. f 

Beaver, Otter, Nutria and Seal Skins ^ 

Which have to be unhaired. The first three kinds are 

S 



treated as follows: Soak in cold water at night. Next 
morning wash in half pound soap and 2 ounces of soda 
in a pail 90 to 100 degrees F. hot water. Wring with 
an ordinary cloth wringer; stretch the skins hair out on 
a board and put it in front of a hot stove or hot sun, but 
see that the stoVe is not too hot. Shake the skin several 
times to dry the hair and raise it, and when the pelt 
gets too dry wet again with cold water to keep it wet, 
else the hair will not come out. After -a while try to 
pull the top hair out. When they come out easily put 
the skin on a beam which you have prepared by putting 
one layer of thick carpet and a raw skin dry on top of 
the carpet. Then rub the hair with a lump of chalk. 
Then take your beaming knife and work down the hair 
from head first, then upward. Use chalk freely — the 
knife has a better grip. What you cannot get out this 
way take a short blade knife like a potato peeling one 
and pull the hair out. Touch not the ground hair. When 
properly unhaired — that is, having most of the long hair 
out- — pickle and finish like other skins. But seals being 
salted have to be shaved first, the fat off, then washed, 
by rights tacked in an iron ring and dried; then washed 
and treated same as other skins, like otter, beaver and 
nutria. But if some of these skins have to be dyed they 
should be shaved after the dye. It is not necessary 
to take every little bit of the top hair, but the fine 
top hair are better moved with a sharp knife, life a 
razor; draw it over the hair and cut them out before 
cutting. 

The simplest way of dressing fur skins and hides is 
with alum and salt, as given in Lesson 1, Process 7. But 
the fur will be richer and glossier if water is kept out 
of the hair and therefore the method just given gives the 
best result and is employed in all the larger factories of 
Leigzig, Germany, the best in the world. 

Muskrat Dressing 

The hardest skins to dress are the muskrats. There- 
fore they are especially described. First scrape all the 
fat off the skins; then put in wet sawdust as given above. 
Next morning take out of the sawdust and pull on the 
blunt knife on the bench as long as possible. Put the 
well soaked by themselves; then the next; then the hard 
ones; wet them all after pulling and put the hard ones 
in sawdust again. 

Fleshing Muskrats 
9 



Flesh the soft ones first; then the next; last before 
evening the hard ones which will be soaked by that time. 
For fleshing put in the banch your sharp knife; take the 
skin by the rump, right side fir^t in your right hand the 
head part on me iro^it pay hole and draw the skin lightly 
over the edge of the knife toward you and at the same 
time upward^. When that side is done do the other 
side; then the back, Do not touch the belly part but the 
head and rump. You will learn to cut almost on the first 
skin and when you can cut that you can cut the other 
skins. Do not let any unpickled skins lie over till next 
day in warm weather. V/hen fleshed pickle them twice; 
thick ones three t mes. Dont flesh skin unless thorough- 
ly soaked, else you cut the skin on the sharp knife. Never 
pull a skin on a sharp knife. Make it blunt first by rub- 
bing a glass bottle over the edge. 

Grinding a Fleshing or Shaving Knife 

Grind the edge on both sides until the edge lies over 
all along. Then you are sure of a true edge; otherwise 
a false edge wiil do damage. When that grade is there 
take an oil-stone and fine the edge until smooth and 
clean of the ^rade. Your fleshing knife is ready for 
use. But on your shaving knife a grade has to be laid. 
After fining for this purpose take a round smooth steel; 
fasten it on a piece 2x3; then draw the edge over the 
steel; that grade just starts, but press pretty hard and 
pull through end fro, and lay the edge by every pull a 
little more to the r ght angle, until you have it exactly in 
the r ght angle. Then the knife is finished. When the 
edge is dull use the steel mentioned under tools. Just 
draw the point of the steel along inside the edge and 
then with the steel on the outside in the right angle. 
In this way, crav/ing just along the edge of the flesh- 
ing knife sideways, will also sharpen it. 

Using the Shaving Knife 

Take the cross handle in the left hand and the length 
hanale in your right, having then the cutting edge in 
front of the kn fe, push it down on the skin, at the 
same time draw it sideways to the right, holding the 
cutting edge in a right angle to the skin. Hides which 
are shaved in the frame muit be shaved on the fleshing 
beam on the sides. 

Furrier's Supply Houses 

For silks and hnings write B. Allman & Co , 5th Ave. 

10 



and 34th Street, New York City. 

For loops, olives, etc., write B. Cohen, 1265 Broad- 
way, New York City. 

For cutlery, write A. Delbon, 490-6th Ave., New York 
City. 

For trimmings, etc., write G. Golstein, 39 W. 32, New 
York City. 

For all supplies. Gross, Engel & Co., 115 W. 27 St., 
New York City. 

For all supp ies, write Manhattan Fur Novelty Co., 11 
Waverly PL, New York City. 

For all supplies, Perl, Winter & Co., 110 W. 26 St., 
New York City. 

I recommend you to subscribe to the Fur News Maga- 
zine and get a Fur News Directory. It gives you all the 
supply houses and news worth knowing. They are pub- 
lished by Paul Belden, 71 West 23d St., New York City, 
N. Y. 

Grease Paste 

Mix 1 pound wheat middlings with 1 gallon of cold 
water, one pound tallow and half a cake of Fels Naptha 
soap. Boil this untilevery thing is dissolved; then add 
cottonseed oil until it shows itself on the top. Do not 
use it hotter than 90 degrees F. 

Drum 

The Drum consists of 2 sides with boards inside. The 
size ought to be: 3 feet diameter, 2 feet wide, boards 
inside 3 inches wide. 4 feet diameter, 2i/^ feet wide, 
boards inside 4 inches wide. 5 feet diameter 2% feet 
wide, boards inside 5 inches wide. 6 feet diameter, 3 
feet wide, boards inside 6 inches wide. 

The sides ought to be made for: 

3 feet, 1 inch good match boards and 6 inch cross 
board. 

4 feet, 1 inch good match boards with 12 to 15 inch 
cross board. 

5 and 6 feet, double 1 inch matchboards crosswise. 
They are covered with galvanized iron and nailed close 
to the sides with 1 inch wire nails. The door is on 
one side. The drum is mounted on a frame, but must be 
one foot from the floor. The speed is about 16 to 18 
revolutions per minute. The boards inside should be 
about two feet apart. When skins leave the drum with 
the sawdust, they can be put in a cage made in the 
same way as the drum, but covered with i/^-inch wire 

11 



meth. The speed for this is from 20 to 24 revolutions 
per minute. 

Any blacksmith can make -a shaving or beaming knife 
or they may be bought at a Curriers supply house. The 
blades may be made of old saws. 

A Nailingout Frame for Hides is better than a board, 
as the skin dry quicker and they are not so heavy. Such 
a frame is made from boards 12x1 inch and 6x8 feet 
long. Two boards forming a rectangular frame. 

When the skins are laced in the shaving frame tight, 
shave with the round shaving knife by pulling it down 
the skin. When this is done lace in the other half of 
the skin and shave, then shave the sides on the beam. 
There are two hinges on the frame so the frame can 
be lifted up and shave the bottom v/ithout stooping. The 
frame is like that of the nailingout frame but is hung on 
a crossbeam between two posts, thus the hinges make it 
possible to shave the bottom without stooping. 

If you have power you can have an emery wheel and 
save a lot of labor. Revolutions per minute should be 
about 400, but no more. The wheal is made of two sides 
of cross boards and covered with 1 V2 inch pine boards 
but small and when turned quite around is 2 V2 to 3 feet 
in diameter and 6 to 8 inches wide and is boxed so that 
only about 10 inches is visible on top. On this part the 
skins are cleaned on the pelt, by holding the skin with 
the left hand over the wheel and with the right hand 
slightly press the skin on the wheel. When the wheel 
is turned put a box as big as the wheel to catch the 
emery that falls off v/hen putting it on. Then have a 
hot glue pot ready and brush 6 or 8 inches long on the 
wheel as much as possible, then throw medium emery on 
the glue as much as it will take. Do another spot the 
same way until clear around the wheel. All the emery 
that did not stick in the glue fell in the box and can be 
used next time. When the emery is blunt let your 
wheel ran and hold some kind of an iron against it, and 
put on emery again as before. 

Skin Beating Machine 

Have a piece of wood 3 feet long and 4 or 5 inches 
square. Put on an ironshaft about 4 feet long and on 
one end a loose and tight pulley and two bearing. Then 
get 8 pieces, each 3 feet long 1 inch angle irons. Have 
on two sides of the angle iron every two inches 3-8 inch 
holes double bored so that the two holes meet exactly. 

12 



Then have on the other sides of the angle iron every six 
inches a hole bored. Then cut strips of sole leather ^/4- 
inch vs^ide and 12 inches long. Get little screwbolts and 
fasten the straps in the angleiron with the tv^o-inch 
apart holes. Every inch a strap then tighten the screws 
and the straps will hold in the irons. When all four 
rows of screws are finished screw them solid on the 
woodshaft by the six inch apart holes. Then have a 
form made of 3x4 wood and mount the machine on to 
it. There need not be more than two inches of space be- 
tween the straps and the frame but in front the frame 
ought to be a foot longer. In this space a board will 
be kept with a roller in front. This board with the 
roller will be pushed against the straps with the skin 
on and beaten and then pulled back from the straps. 
If the skins are very dusty the entire machine should 
be boxed, leaving only the pulleys out, The speed of 
this machine should be from 150 to 200 revolutions per 
minute. 

Deodorizing Fur Skins 

In four gallons of water put four pounds of soap and 
four pounds of soda. Boil until dissolved then add 1 ^/i 
ounce of borax, 5-8 ounce sulphate of soda, one ounce 
oil of sassafras. Cool down to 90 degrees F. Work 
skins thru this and pickle with process No. 7. This is 
suitable for skunks, etc. In Germany the big dressing- 
works simply put the dry and scraped skins in the drum 
with sav/dust ar.d a charcoal fire underneath and tumble 
for 1/4 hour, extracting all the fat and with it all the 
smell disappears. They are then dressed like other skins. 
Therefore the German furi are always free from smell. 
Buck Skin Tan 

For each skin take 13 cuarts of water and put into 
it one quart of lime; let the skin soak in this 4 or 5 
days, then rinse in clean water and scrape off the hair. 
After scraping soak in cold vv^ater 2i/^ days, and scour or 
pound in good soap suds half an hour; then take white 
vitriol, alum and salt; 1 V2 tablespoon of each to a skin, 
dissolve them in enough water to cover nicely and let 
the skin soak in this 24 hours, then wring out as dry as 
possible. When dry spread on with a brush, V2 pint 
Curriers' oil and hang in the sun 2 days. Next scour 
out the oil with soap suds and hang; out again until per- 
fectly dry; then stretch and rub the skin until soft. If 
a reasonable time does not make them soft, scour out 

, 13 



again in soap suds until complete. The buff color is 
given by yellow ochre spread over the skin and rub well 
with a brush. 

Dressing Fur Skins on a Large Scale 

In the middle of the last Century the German skin- 
dressers used tabbing machines such as the ones used 
for leathering chamois leather or the woolen cloth and 
blanket makers used, for beaver and muskrats. Whilst 
the English and Americans used barrels or tubs like ox- 
heads and by this the work is called tubbing and the 
tubbing machine called kicker. In this tub a man goes 
and kicks and jumps about on the skins to make them 
soft and leathery. About 10 years later there was a 
tubbing machine constructed that almost every kind of 
skins could be tubbed or leathered in. They are only 
uied in Germany, also invented there. They work much 
quicker and in almost half the time. There are several 
in use in this country put up on my advice. 
Dressing Beaver and Muskrat Skins With Tubbing 

Machines 

Skins are put in wet sawdust as described before. Next 
morning the hard parts shaved off and put back in the 
sawdust to soak thoroughly, then be pulled on the dull 
kn'fe length and width, then stretched flat and dried. 
When dry sti'ched up lenghtwise with two-inch stitches 
with fme spring. Then brushed with weak soda water. 
This applies to muskrats also. Let in till next morning- 
covered up. best in a box to prevent drying; look over 
for dry spots, bru;h suc'i a little more. Skins must not 
be too wet neither too dry Then grease the good ones 
first with half f'sh oil and half butter scraps, warmed 
up to 110 F. and put in tubbing machine; let run for 3 
hours. Then take skins out pull long and grease the 
thick one sa little moreand put back in the tub for an- 
other 3 or 4 hours. Thie skins are done when there is 
no more whitish spots to be seen. Then beavers are 
oponed on one end and turned, fur out. Muskrats be 
turned also and put in drum with .sawdust for 4 hours. 
Then opened and brushed with salt water, put in a box 
for 24 hours then they are pulled over a rope called 
rop'ng Then combed and shaved. What cannot be 
shaved must be pared out on the sharp knife in the 
bench, and cleaned, beaten. Otter skins are only 
brushed with salt water anr greased with bu::ter only; 
also m'nk, 'sable, skunk, Fitch, cats,, marten and Ameri- 

14 



can Opossums with skin and g*ea:-,e on them. This sort 
of skms requ.re about 3 ounces tubbing then taken out, 
opened or turned over to clean. But skins like sable, 
marten where the hair is not c'i'2'i£'">^» "^»ay be brushed 
with ^alt water, lay 12 hours and fleshed on a half- 
sharp knife with a sharp p^ace on top of knife in the 
bench, pulled round both way.i and cleaned. 

New York Way of Dressing Muskrats 

The raw skins are brushed with salt water and put 
away till next day, then they are tubed. Then smeared 
over all with wet sawdust, lay over night anad fleshed 
and shaved if needed, then pickled with sulphuric acid 
and salt as given before then dried and tubed or drumed 
with suwdust to soften and clean. 

Tanning Rabbit Skins For Dyeing 

Make a small cut behind the ears of the skin put the 
finger in it and pull head and ears out, then open the 
skin on belly, cut off the tail and put skins in tub, 
Leather to hair nicely divided. Then put stones on a 
board on them, then fill up with water. Next morning 
throw them over a beam and cut the front legs open and 
flesh. Use the half sharp knife. Make a cut in the 
flesh, buc not skin, about 2 inches long on the sharp spot 
on the knife at the tail end. Then loosen the skin and 
push the skin f om the flesh, not the flesh from the skin, 
else it will tear all along the rump part over the hin 1 
legs, then the other side. When this is done catch hold 
of the f;esh and pull it right over the head and the skin 
is fleshed. Do not squeeze or press the water out, v/hen 
fleshing, they f^esh better with the water in them Then 
prepare a Gambler solution of 1 degree by Caume, for 
heavy fluid. This is a hydrometer obtained at a v/hole- 
sale druggist Work skin about well and let them rest 
till next morn'ng and throw them over a beam, over the 
liquor to save it At night strengthen it up to 2 degrees 
next morning t' row over again; at night strengc.f:en to 
S degrees; so keep on every day increasing 1 degree un- 
til 5 is reached then wrink skins through a cloth 
wring , wash in warm water and grease with fish-o'l 
and hang up to dry in air, no heat. When dry in hair, 
should be cleaned in drum. Pick out the thick ones and 
shave after bru.hed with water, then brush with the 5 
degree tanning. 

This tanning is for English and French seal dyeina*. 
For dyeing with Anline — dyes or natural better be 

15 



pickled in process 7 given before. Hares skins are not 
fleshed only pulled on the knife. 

Chinchilla Dressing 

Brush the skins at night with salt water. 2 oz. salt in 
1 gallon of water, put leather in leather, cover them up 
and let lie till next morning, brush again with salt water. 
Then make dull your fleshing knife with glass bottle 
by rubbing it over the edge, then pull the skin in the 
length so that everything will stretch in the width, but 
care has to be taken, under the front paw and over the 
hind leg are thin and weak spots and will tear easily, so 
catch hold of the side a little below the front leg and 
a little above , to avoid them spots. But pulling the sides 
is the main thing else they will remain raw. When all 
is in length then pull in the width but if anything can 
not be pulled in width that is a sign it was not well 
pulled in the length and has to be done over again. Leave 
the skin standing in v/idth then put them on a heap 
leather up. Then having warm melted butter ready put 
your rght hand flat on the butter and wipe the other 
hand with it, then put on skin start in center down to 
the rump and head and smooth on on the sides, the 
most should be brought in the middle of the skin, put 
Fkins in pairs and hang up at once, but watch them; they 
must be only half dry so that they can be pulled. Take 
them down in the foot tub with wheat bran; or can be 
put in a bag and rolled about with the feet for an hour. 
Then bs taken on the same knife again but keep the 
rest in the bran cover them up and take out one at the 
time that they do not get dry; better put them in a box. 
Cover also the pulled ones up that they do not dry. Pull 
length and v/idth when all done, stretch nice and flat 
good shape and hang up lo dry. Then put skins in drum 
v/ith fine v/hite sawdust and white cly or talcum for 
half hour, then shake the dust and clay out and put them 
in some ju t a little moist sawdust or sand to dampen 
the skins a little to be able to pull them again. This 
has to be done on a pretty sharp knife but not cutting 
too c-ore to skin Then put in drum again with white 
sav/dust aijd talcum and turned till clean. When you 
b'ow in the hair and it closes up again then the hair is 
c-ean but whsn it stays open it is not clean yet, Small 
lot, can be shaken in a light cardboard box to c'ean. 



16 



